Beautiful Enemy
by Kjminame
Summary: Draco Malfoy must complete an assignment. But it is not an assignment you can do with parchment and a quill. He wonders why it was given to him. Why would his Lord give him such an easy task? Yet he awaits to find that the task is not as easy as it seems.
1. The Assignment

Chapter 1: The Assignment

Hermione glanced up from her book to see Draco Malfoy and his band eager followers make some fun out of Harry and Ron.

"Piss off Malfoy." Ron said as Harry just glared. Draco laughed.

"Oh, temper, temper Weaselbe." Ron's eyes narrowed.

Hermione was irrated. Not only did their quarrel interrupt her reading, but this was already the fourth time this week they had engaged in it. She huffed loudly and slammed her book shut. She figured the only way she would be able to get some reading time is if she handled the situation herself. She stood up from the stone edge of the garden and walked across the grass to where they stood. She grabbed one arm of both Harry and Ron and tried to lead them from the scene without a word. Draco called out as they walked away:

"So now the mudblood has to fight your battles for you?" His goons broke out in laughter. Hermione stopped dead in her tracks. She dropped their arms and turned around to Draco. She stormed straight to him, getting right up in his face.

"You can't go anywhere without having your posse follow after you, so don't talk to me about fighting your own battles you stupid prick!" With that Hermione strode away from him, grabbing their arms and once again leading them away. Draco and his followers stood in awe. Some let out a late gasp, while others giggled under their breath. Draco's eyes were wide. He couldn't believe she just said that to him. Him. To Draco Malfoy. He broke out of his trance to hear some goons still giggling. He snapped around to them.

"And just what are you laughing at!" He growled. They became silent quickly. He turned back around to the path where Hermione left, and stomped across the grounds back into the school. His goons trailing behind him.

"I can't believe you said that to Malfoy." Ron said as they entered the Gryffindor common room. Hermione plopped down on her usual chair by the fireplace while Harry and Ron sat on the couch beside her.

"I mean, no one dares to, not with his reputation." Ron continued. Hermione sighed.

"He had it coming, I was done with it." She said while leaning forward to take off her coat. Ron and Harry chuckled.

"Well, you sure made that clear." Said Harry.

"I mean, did you see the look on his face?" Harry and Ron began to laugh harder.

"He's probably still standing in the courtyard." Ron said while trying to catch his breath. Hermione smiled at their amusement. She didn't do it for a laugh, but she was glad they were getting a kick out of it.

"I knew he couldn't back it up, not with his pansyish deminer." She said.

"It was hilarious." Said Harry. Ron stood up and walked over to the coat racks with Harry following behind him. Hermione, still clutching her coat, gazed beside her into the fire. Getting lost in the flames.

"Draco!" Draco looked up from the twisting flames in the fireplace of the Slytherin common room. He sneered at the person who took him from his peaceful gaze.

"Professor Snape wants to speak with you." Draco got to his feet and proceeded to the door of the common room. He walked out of the room, passing the person without a backward glance. He walked down the dimmed hallways and turned left towards the potions room. He knocked on the door twice, then heard a low voice ring from inside.

"Come in." It spoke coldly. He turned the door handle and strode inside. Snape looked up from his papers to see him in the doorway.

"Shut the door." He said. Draco pushed the door around and closed it. Snape set down his quill and stood from his podium. He strode towards Draco and stopped abruptly in front of him.

"Come with me." He shooed Draco to a closet in the back of the classroom. Snape shut the door quietly when him and Draco were both inside. He turned back around to face him.

"Show me." Draco pushed up his sleeve of his shirt to reveal his forearm. Which bared the snake scar of the Dark Mark. Snape pushed up his sleeve to show his as well.

"He has an assignment for you." Snape said as he pulled his sleeve back down to cover his forearm again.

"It seems he thinks it is time to prove your worth so he has given you a new and important task." Draco glanced up at him as he pulled his sleeve down as well.

"What is it?" Draco asked.

"It seems that one such a student has been predicted to be a bigger threat than expected." Snape explained.

"One such a student who has begun training for the upcoming war." Draco displayed a look of confusion.

"But many students are training for the war, which one are you talking about?" He asked. Snape began to explain again.

"This student poses a threat to complicate our plans." Draco raised his eyebrows.

"He doesn't want me to kill Potter, does he?" Snape looked at him with what seemed like a smile.

"Please, that task is to large for you to handle." Draco scowled at him.

"Besides, our Lord has made it clear that he wants to finish Potter off and anybody who tries to before him will join Potter in death." He said. Snape's smiled faded just as quickly as it came.

"No, this task will be more your size." Draco was becoming impatient.

"What is the task?" He asked again. Snape looked at him with seriousness.

"You must kill this student." Draco sneered widely.

"But before you do, you must get as much information from them as you can. Find out where Dumbledore's army will be stationed, how many will be fighting. Information like that. Do whatever means necessary to find it out." Draco nodded.

"Who is the student?" Draco asked for the third time. Snape spoke;

"Hermione Granger." Draco let out a laugh.

"Granger? Nevel Longbottom could kill Granger! Snape gave him a diligent look.

"So are you saying you can't do it?" He asked him. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Well of course I can do it." He confidently said. "I just want something that is a challenge." Snape leered.

"Oh, trust me Mr. Malfoy, Granger will be a bigger challenge than you are expecting. You underestimate her." Draco scoffed.

"She is not even close to being a challenge for me." Snape scoffed as well.

"I'll believe that when you complete this assignment." He opened the door of the closet and motioned Draco out. They walked to the back of the classroom and just as Draco was about to turn the door handle, Snape quickly grabbed the back of his shirt. He whirled him around so their eyes met.

"This task must be completed as soon as possible. Do not doddle. Start it as soon as you step foot out of this classroom. Our Lord will not enjoy waiting long. Now get out."

Snape let go of his shirt and pushed him out the doorway. He shut the door behind him. Just as he was starting to walk back to his dormitories, Crabbe and Goyle approached him from behind.

"Where did you come from?" Draco asked.

"Oh, we were finishing eating in the Great Hall." Crabbe replied. A look of excitement was on their faces.

"So, what did Snape say?" Asked Goyle, still holding a cupcake.

"Did you get an assignment?" Draco appeared emotionless as he began to walk down the hallway again.

"Yeah." He said almost shakily. Crabbe and Goyle looked surprised.

"Really? What is it?" Crabbe asked this time. Draco stopped stared at them.

"I have to kill Granger." They looked at him in astonishment. Yet at the same time, in disbelief.

"Granger? Why would he give you Granger to kill. It's to easy!" Goyle laughed. Crabbe cracked up as well.

"Yeah, way to simple!" Draco loudly huffed.

"Well, Voldermort thinks it's a challenge for me." Crabbe and Goyle winced at his name.

"I guess I will just have to prove him wrong." He said. "This should be easy."

Crabbe looked down at the watch on his wrist. His eyes popped as soon as he saw what time it was.

"It is nearly 10:30, if Snape catches us out here he'll flip. We better go."

Crabbe and Goyle hastily ran ahead, while Draco strode at his own pace. He wasn't afraid of Snape's yelling fits. Snape was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. He was more interested in figuring out how he would get Granger to spill information. How to get her to talk about Dumbledore's war plans. As he thought harder, he remembered how clever she really was. She wouldn't fall for anyone's tricks so easily. He realized as he approached the door to the Slytherin common room, that this assignment would be way more difficult then he first suspected.

**_Parting Words:_**

**_It has taken me a long time to get inspiration to start an actual chapter fanfiction. A very long time. My best friend never got off my back to start one. But now she has to! This is for you POASO! Hope you like it! Review!_**

**_Kjminame_**


	2. Getting Her Attention

**Chapter 2: Getting Her Attention**

"Enough Ron!" Hermione spat so loudly and angrily that the entire Great Hall had noticed. She huffed slightly and glanced over to her side at Harry, who was drinking his morning pumpkin juice without saying a word about her outburst. She turned her head back over to Ron, who sat beside her as well, looking at her, appearing quite insulted. She set her issue of the Daily Prophet down on the table as lightly as she could and situated her body towards Ron. Unfortunately, he was now ignoring her.

"I'm sorry, it's just that it is starting to tweak me a bit." She said, trying to get his attention on her. His face was blank as her dipped his fork into the eggs in front of him. She tried again.

"Can we just forget about it?" He looked up at her from his plate, and dropped his fork suddenly.

"Well I'm sorry, it's just that I thought it was so brilliant. Sending Malfoy running off with his tail between his legs." He said with sort of a forlorn look.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it but it is over." She said. Ron turned his head back to his eggs and once again pushed his fork into them. Hermione switched back to her former position, picked up the paper, and opened its pages wide. She began to read the article on House Elf Imprisonment again when she turned quickly to Ron.

"I mean it wasn't that big of a deal." You could hear Harry let out a sigh. Clearly he didn't want to hear about it anymore.

"But I bet our Mr. Malfoy won't ever give me a word again." She set down the paper a second time and without warning looked straight up into Draco Malfoy's sneering face.

"Ahhhhh!" She shrieked while falling backwards off her seat.

"What's up mama?" He said coyly, just sitting on the table top. She stood up roughly and dusted herself off.

"What the hell!" She snapped while picking up the Daily Prophet from the floor, which she tried to grab for balance, sort of forgetting it was a paper.

"The Daily Prophet can barely break a story, let alone breaking a fall." He kidded. Hermione was not laughing.

"What do you want?" She asked him in an annoyed voice. He scooted off the top of the table and stood directly in front of her.

"I came to apologize for my behavior yesterday." You could hear very distinctively the dropping of silverware. Slytherin gasps came from across the room, then whispering came after them. Harry and Ron sat confused. Hermione however, saw right through his transparent exterior.

"Who dared you to come over here?" She asked, so sure that it was all a joke.

"No one." He spoke truthfully. Hermione scoffed at his answer.

"Yeah right. You would not have come over here on your free will " She said. Draco raised his eyebrows.

"Or would I" He stared at her with intensity. She crossed her arms.

"What do you want Malfoy?" She asked once again. He strolled up closer to her.

"I told you." He said lightly. Hermione laughed.

"You did not get up and walk ten feet to tell me you're sorry." She said while still chuckling. He once again raised an eyebrow.

"What gives you the impression that I am lying?" He asked. Hermione stopped giggling. Her face went completely straight and she said dryly;

"Because you are Draco Malfoy, you are the epitome of lies." She said. His face turned into a large grin.

"Why you've got me all wrong." He innocently said. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

"Your funny Malfoy, but I am done playing your little game." She bluntly stated. She whirled around to where Harry and Ron sat and began to walk away when;

"Hermione." She froze and turned slowly around. She let out a gaspy breath.

"What?" She stuttered. Draco smirked with satisfaction. Hermione shook her head a couple of times, as to bring herself back down to earth. She walked back over to Draco and stood still, gawking at him.

"What did you call me?" She asked in an almost hopeful nature.

"Hermione. That is your name isn't it? The Know-It-All. Miss Gryffindor Princess?" He spoke sarcastically. Hermione's face faded from somewhat happy to furious in a matter of two seconds. Her fists began to turn white as she clenched them tightly. She took in a hard, loud breath. Ron grabbed her arm softly, trying to coax her to come towards him. Without glancing down at him, she wrenched it out of his grip. She stomped back up to Draco, pulling the collar of his shirt down roughly.

"Don't you ever call me that again!" She snipped assertively.

"Feisty aren't we?" He cackled while putting his hand on his collar where her's was. She snapped her head down to look at his hand over her's. Once realizing that he was actually touching her, she quickly removed her hand from his shirt.

"If I knew calling you that would get you that riled up, I would have done it a long time ago." Draco spoke slyly. Her face turned a shade redder.

"Will you just shut it!" Hermione spat again, this time more uptight. Draco opened his mouth to speak again when he paused to glance around the Great Hall. Hermione took his queue, and looked as well. They gazed all around them to see every soul, even those who were no longer alive, staring at them in bewilderment and even suspense. Harry and Ron had the same dumb expression on their faces. The Slytherins were all still whispering amongst themselves, but it seems that their voices became more heavy and faster.

"We really draw a crowd don't we?" Draco said, still tracing his eyes around the hall. Hermione grabbed the collar of his shirt once again and dragged him out of the sight of the others. She closed the large doors behind them and then pushed Draco forcibly up against the wall with her mere fist. Her eyes were still crude, but were lighter and less timid now that they were alone.

"What is it that you really want?" She exhaustingly asked. He took her hand, which was still resting against his throat, and pulled her up so she was placed against him. He softly wrapped his arms around her waist. Sending an enormous shockwave down her body.

"Is it that hard to believe that I could actually be sorry?" Draco asked her while compressing his hands a bit harder around her waist.

"Well..yeah." Hermione staggered. Without a doubt, she was fluttered with the situation that was wrapped around her. Draco lowered his lips toward her ear. Her heart was pounding as his breath hit her neck.

"Start believing in the unbelievable." He whispered to her delicately. With that said, he broke his grip on her waist and passed her to walk away in the opposite direction. Leaving her there, baffled out of her mind, but somehow intrigued.

Draco halted at the corner of the hallway and turned back to look at her. To his expectations, she was still placed in the same spot he left her in. He satisfyingly smiled at her, then weaved down the corner and left her sight. He knew it would only be seconds now before Blaise joined him in his stroll. Just as the thought left his mind, Blaise appeared before him, walking toward him from the other side of the hall.

"How did it go?" Blaise asked as he approached him. Draco stopped mid step and fed him a disappointed look, then began to walk again.

"You weren't there?" Draco asked him surprised.

"Couldn't be, I had lunch detention with Snape." He stated while starting to walk with him. Draco rolled his eyes. He was clearly not surprised anymore. It wasn't a new thing for Blaise to be in detention or in some kind of trouble.

"Let's just say that the plan is in motion." Draco wickedly spoke. "The Gryffindor won't even know what hit her once I'm through." Blaise raised an eyebrow at his words.

"I hope you're as cunning as you think you are Draco." Blaise said as they approached the door to the Transfiguration room. Draco didn't reply to him.

He was silent. His head was down. Standing outside the room. Thinking about his next step. What should he do now? Hermione was looser now, but he knew she wasn't nearly loose enough. It would take a lot more to crack her down. Blaise was waving his hand in front of his face. Obviously trying to get his attention. He tipped his head back up, not because of Blaise, but at hearing the sounds of footsteps coming toward them. The rest of the class was coming, including Hermione Granger. At seeing her, he regained his voice.

"I am, don't worry." Draco spoke while passing Blaise to enter the room.


	3. Summonsed

**Chapter 3: Summonsed**

Draco strolled silently to his assigned seat in the front of the room, with Blaise scurrying quickly behind him. He took his seat, as Blaise did beside him. Draco set his book bag down beside his feet and turned his body around to face the door that was now behind him. He waited patiently for a couple seconds, then, as expected, Hermione Granger came walking through the doorway, along with Harry and Ron. Draco smirked at the expression on her face. Bewildered and still in shock from her experience with him. He turned back around to face the front of himself. Hermione found her seat in the middle of the room. She sat down quietly and scattered her books across the top of the table. Harry and Ron looked at her with concern.

"Hermione?" Harry said. Hermione jumped slightly at her name, sending a book to slip off the table and onto the floor. She looked at him, her face slightly aflame.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked her. She smiled brightly, trying to hide her mixed emotions.

"Yes, why would you ask?" She replied to him, while picking up her book from the floor. Harry opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by his Transfiguration teacher.

"Good morning, class." Professor McGonagall said crisply as the students finished filing into the classroom.

"I trust you have all completed your essays assigned yesterday on the courting habits of wolves." McGonagall said as she marked her attendance sheet with her quill. She finished and walked bracingly in front of the podium to face her class.

"Now, who can tell me how a wolf courts a potential mate?" She asked as she scanned the room for raised hands. Draco shot his hand into the air. Puzzled, McGonagall chose him.

"Mr. Malfoy." She said, calling on him.

"Once the female has opened herself up emotionally to the male, he is free to court her. This may take many days, but the male is willing to wait for as long as it takes." Draco looked over at Hermione, whose face had washed to a crimson when her eyes caught his. Harry and Ron looked nervous. He smiled, then situated himself back to face his teacher. Professor McGonagall furrowed her eyebrows.

"That is an interesting way to put it Mr. Malfoy, but you are indeed correct." She stated. Blaise stared at Draco in an 'I can't believe you just said that' way. Professor McGonagall continued.

"Wolves are also very territorial, they are willing to…" She was cut off by a barn owl, who had just swooped through the open door of her classroom. He circled over her head and dropped a piece of parchment in her outstretched hands. The owl then flew back out of the room. She opened the parchment carefully to read it. Once finished, she looked up at Draco.

"Mr. Malfoy, you must report to the clock tower immediately." McGonagall informed him. Draco leaned down to pick up his book bag from the floor. He filled it with his books and quills, then he stood up from his chair. He put the strap over his shoulder and turned to leave. Draco turned around once more to look at Blaise, who was grinning at him. He grinned back, then he turned his attention to Hermione, who had also turned around to look at him. He fed her a gracious smile, with a hidden meaning. She stared at him in curiosity. And with that, he left the classroom.

* * *

Draco hurried through the hall that led to the clock tower. He hit the end of the hall and began to climb the stairs. In mere seconds, he had reached the top. The sound of ringing from the clock swept through his ears as he stood, looking for the reason he was called here. He looked over at one of the window ledges, and found a letter addressed to him. Draco picked it up and ripped the back of the envelope. He pulled out the parchment that was inside and opened it. He began to read; 

Draco,

I have enclosed in this envelope floo powder. Use it and say ' Ebon Cemetery'. It will take you here. We will be waiting for you.

Severus Snape

Draco stuffed the letter in his pants pocket. He took the envelope and poured the floo powder out onto his hand, then also put the envelope in his pocket. He was surprised to see that the floo powder was not green, but black. He brushed off the feeling of uncertainty and raised his hand with the floo powder in it above his head.

"Ebon Cemetery!" He said in a very loud voice. He let loose the powder from his hand. Black flames began to engulf his body, and then he disappeared altogether from the clock tower.

* * *

Draco reappeared in a large, hazy graveyard. Filled with many people in long, black cloaks and silver, metal masks. All of them turned toward his direction when they saw the black fire explode beside them, sending Draco flying out of the flames. Draco knew exactly who they were. Death Eaters. And once they saw it was Draco, they all smiled at him pleasantly. He stood still for a couple of minutes, as they carried on their conversations with each other. Then, he heard a familiar voice coming toward him. His father, Lucius Malfoy, appeared from the clouds of black silk that were the Death Eaters. He grinned joyfully at him. 

"Draco, welcome my son." Lucius spoke in a sharp tone. Draco half smiled at his father. As Lucius stood, another known face appeared out from behind him. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The Dark Lord himself. Lord Voldermort. Draco had never seen him in person. And was not chilled by his name, but by his presence. Lord Voldermort smirked.

"Hello Draco, we finally meet."


	4. Consequences

****

Chapter 4: Consequences

Draco gazed blankly at the Dark Lord, trying to shield the fear that was building beneath his skin. He could feel himself shaking slightly, but made no movement to try to stop it. He made no movement at all. He stood still, for fear that the blue-tinted demon before him would lash out it's neck and sink it's dagger-like fangs into his pale flesh. Dragging him down beneath his ebony cloak to disappear forever. He didn't think that he would be like the others, those that couldn't speak his name without a gasp or a shudder in their throats. He never thought that he would be this afraid of Voldermort, but he was. He was terrified, to say the least. Lucius nudged his son's side with his elbow in an annoyed manner when he gave no response to his Lord's greeting.

"Oh, hello." Draco managed to spit out without his voice cracking. Voldermort smirked again darkly, then laughed malevolently.

"Your son isn't very articulate, Lucius." He murmured in his authoritive tone while switching his attention to the older Malfoy. Lucius snickered back in what sounded like disappointment on Draco's part. Draco's arms developed quick bumps at the sound of the demon's sneering voice. He pulled down his sleeves, trying to cover the fact that he was uncomfortable.

"Now to the plans." Voldermort announced to the whole party of black ghosts spread out around them. He turned on his toes and gracefully walked forward, causing his cloak to levitate into the air and the mist to divide and let him pass through with ease. He disappeared behind the clouds of fog, the entirety of the waiting Death Eaters following behind him. One by one, their forms evaporated until they were all on the other side of the haze. Lucius walked forward to join them, grabbing Draco's arm and wrenching him out of his statue-like state when he realized he wasn't following him. He pushed through the fog to where the other Death Eaters congregated into a crowd, still gripping Draco under his long, white fingertips as they joined them.

"This is what we're going to do." Voldermort began while standing beside what looked like a stone, gray angel. Some kind of angel of death. He swayed slightly to the side, enough for Draco to see the name 'Tom Riddle' on the gravestone behind him, along with two other names beneath it. He didn't need to read them to know who they were and whose gravestone he was standing on. His attention was abruptly snapped back to the situation at hand by Voldermort's booming voice.

"The war is among us. It approaches as quickly as the sun in the end of night. Dumbledore is building up his army with some of the most well taught wizards in attendance at Hogwarts. We have our own forces inside, but not many. We need to recruit outside of the school. In Knockturn Alley, in the Forbidden Forest, anywhere we can. We need to build our own forces so we can take down the forces of the Light once and for all. The night will win this war. No interference. No prisoners. Just the swift death of our enemies. Just Avada Kedavra!"

Suddenly, green light flickered beside Voldermort, causing the dark sea of cloaks to jump back in surprise. A Death Eater wearing a dark, silver mask with black vines weaving around it fell from where he stood to the cold ground in front of them, the green streams still cascading into him. The man's eyes were still wide open as the light left them. Draco trembled as he tried to look away from the stiff corpse that lay just a couple feet from him, unable to tear his eyes away. His breath caught as Voldermort spoke and raised his wand to the already shaken group.

"Let that be a lesson to all of you. This man was feeding information. Information about us to the Ministry of Magic. He was lucky to have died as nicely as he did. Only death itself could have dreamed of what I would have liked to do to him."

Draco's eyes were wide and unmoving. Voldermort continued.

"Unfortunately, that would have taken too much of my precious time. Time we are running out of. Go where you must to find soldiers. Do what you must. Just know that the consequence for a betrayal..." He glided his head down to look upon the body of his latest victim. He graced his head back up, staring down the crowd with his piercing, venomous blue eyes.

"...is death." He finished his sentence with a serious sneer. His attention switched and lightened a decibel.

"Now, our young Draco..." He began again, extending a long arm out in front of him. The sound of swishing cloaks filled the air as they all turned to look at Draco, whose eyes had not lost any sign of distress, just gained some.

"...has his own mission to attend to and I must say that I have full confidence that he will be successful in his endeavor." Voldermort gave him a wide, disturbed smile. Draco attempted to smile back, but lacked the composure needed to make it real.

"Now, go forth! Build my army and together we can shroud this world into the darkness that is under our grasp!" A loud roar erupted from the group along with applause and cheering. The movement of cloaks filled the air as the group parted ways and vanished behind the clouds of mist, going in all different directions. Voldermort gave one last empowering look at Draco and then also dematerialized into the vapor. Once the cemetery was cleared of Death Eaters, Lucius turned to his son. He placed his cold hands on both of Draco's shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes.

"You can do this Draco. You're a Malfoy. I believe in you." Lucius professed, trying to sound as fatherly as possible.

'That's a first.' Draco thought in resentment. Lucius handed him a small bag of black floo powder out of his pocket.

"This will get you back to Hogwarts. You know what to do." And with that, he too dissolved into the mist. Draco opened the bag and lazily spilled a pile of powder into his cupped hand. He dropped the bag of the remainder, clutching the rest. He raised his fist above his head once more.

"Hogwarts!" He spoke loudly and clearly. Just as they had before, the black flames reappeared and took his body into waves of smoke, taking him away from the cemetery.

* * *

Draco dropped onto the smooth, cold concrete of the clock tower with a thud. The flames dissipated into the air as he regained his balance and got to his feet. He began to walk back to his Slytherin dormitories, a mess of thoughts reeling in his mind.

'Can I really do this? Can I kill her?' He shook his head back and forth rapidly as he descended the stairs of the tower, slightly messing up his platinum blonde hair.

'Of course I can! I'm a Malfoy for crying out loud! I can do anything.' Before he even thought it, he knew his answer. Even though he didn't fully believe it was his true one. He stopped unexpectedly on the last step of the staircase. Looking ahead, he noticed a girl sitting on the stone windowsill of one of the windows in the long hall. Her chestnut curls waving in the cool wind as she traced her delicate finger along the rough bumps of the rock in the sill. Her elegant face calm and relaxed. It took Draco a long moment of staring before he realized who she was.

"Hermione?" The girl turned her head swiftly towards him, revealing her dark, chocolate eyes under the light of the moon. Her collected expression changed from serene to surprised when she realized who he was.

"Malfoy? What are you doing out at this time of night?" She asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice. He walked forward slowly towards where she sat.

"I could ask you the same question." He answered back. Hermione's face had a look of slight astonishment when her ears didn't detect any sarcasm. She gazed back out at the courtyard. Letting her rock-tracing hand fall lightly to her lap.

"I couldn't sleep." She said with a smile to herself, her features glowing.

"Me neither." Draco lied.

"I guess we have something in common now, don't we?" Hermione said, waiting for the complete denial from him that she expected to hit her in the face.

"I guess we do." Draco replied. Hermione turned to look at him, her face strewn with wonder by his unexpected answer.

They resided there in silence for a moment, the moonlight hitting their sides with full force before Draco smiled slightly and began to walk away. Hermione's voice broke the sound of his footsteps.

"Goodnight, Draco." She called back to him after he had passed her. A tiny surge of electricity passed through him when she said his name. A surge he knew couldn't happen again. If it did, he knew it would complicate things. Things that couldn't afford to become complicated. Not at the expense of his life. He had to do it and he wouldn't feel remorse over it. With a breath, he regained the power to move his feet and began to stride forward until he was completely out of sight. Trying to stop the chills caused by her that were still running through him.


End file.
